Daily IU news update

Sept. 12, 2007

Death in a cornfieldBloomington Herald-Times, Sept. 12 -- Retired IU professor James Allison figures he was in his office preparing a lecture for a psychology of motivation class around the time Ann Harmeier was abducted in Morgan County on a Monday morning 30 years ago. "She may have died before I dismissed the class," the Bloomington man wrote in the introduction of a manuscript about the case that never was published. It's a book about a crime that was never solved. Full story

Aid bill praised as big boon to students: Measure passed by Congress cuts student loan interest rates, increases Pell grantsBloomington Herald-Times, Sept. 12 -- College students will pay less interest on their college loans and some will be eligible for larger federal Pell grants under legislation approved last week by Congress. Both the House and Senate approved the final measure on Friday, with leaders touting it as the largest federal investment in higher education since the GI Bill in the aftermath of World War II. The changes could make a difference for thousands of students at Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College, officials said. Full story

A day to rememberIndiana Daily Student, Sept. 12 -- It was a cool September day in 2001 when hijackers seized four planes and took thousands of lives. The weather Tuesday reminded one girl of the conditions that fateful day as she shared her Sept. 11 experience with a crowd in front of McNutt Quad. Between 150 and 200 students gathered at the residence hall for a candlelight vigil to remember the sixth anniversary of the tragedy. Full story

Police vow to keep campus safe in wake of sex crimesIndiana Daily Student, Sept. 12 -- IU Police Department has reported at least four incidents involving sexual offenses since Aug. 22. Police have responded to three incidents of forcible fondling, and last Friday, police responded to a sexual assault. IUPD Capt. Jerry Minger said Friday's incident has brought about increased patrol. In his 35 years as an officer, Minger said he has never heard of anyone abducted in broad daylight, as this female student was during her walk to the SRSC. Full story

Enrollment is second largestIndiana Daily Student, Sept. 12 -- Aside from being deemed the smartest IU has ever seen, the class of 2011 is also the largest. This year's record number of freshmen only helped contribute to IU-Bloomington's record enrollment, a total of 38,990 students, which is a 1.9 percent increase from last year. This is the second largest University enrollment on record. Roger Thompson, the vice provost for enrollment, attributed this increased number of students to a greater amount of applications, which were up 18 percent from last year's 24,169 hopefuls, he said. Full story

IU uses YouTube to promote campus life: Videos aim to educate, appeal to high schoolersIndiana Daily Student, Sept. 12 -- YouTube popularized animations, such as "Charlie the Unicorn," and gave "Muffins" a whole new flavor. But the University Office of Creative Services thinks it can be used to persuade high school students to attend IU. IU recently released five videos titled "Hello, My Name Is Indiana University" on YouTube featuring interesting IU students. With this action, IU hopes to put a face on the university. It isn't intended to replace current marketing strategies, but to show a more personal side of the university. Full story

IU to keep current policies, accepting illegal immigrantsIndiana Daily Student, Sept. 12 -- The former Attorney General of Virginia, Jerry W. Kilgore, wants Virginia's General Assembly to pass a law barring illegal aliens or undocumented students from attending public colleges in the state and from receiving state financial aid. Currently, Virginia's public universities do not decline an application based on illegal status, neither do they consider illegal status in the decision of acceptance. IU's policies are similar, but the University will not consider barring illegal aliens, said IU Spokesman Larry MacIntyre. "At IU the immigration status is not asked if you are applying to the university," said IU Spokesman Larry MacIntyre. Full story

IU voices in the news:

Hoosier innovations take center stage at showcaseThe Journal Gazette, Sept. 12 -- More than 65 people gathered Tuesday at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center to see university-developed technologies and products at the second annual Northeast Indiana Technology Showcase. The presentations of new technology ranged from a diagnostic system for kidneys to a program for creating interactive movies and television shows. Of the six presentations, three were developed at Indiana University, and the other three were developed at Purdue University, according to a statement released before the event by Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. Full story

Sex after cancerPsychCentral, Sept. 12 -- Significant sexual problems often are an unexpected — and unwelcome — side effect of the treatment of early-stage cervical and endometrial cancer for many women following hysterectomy. "Often women who have had cancer are interested in being sexual, physical. A lot of these women can be in their 30s," said Julia Heiman, director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University. "By offering women something that can improve this part of their lives, in a sense you're investing in the hopeful side of their surviving a serious disease like cancer." Full story

Expert advises making smaller goalsUnited Press International, Earthtimes, Sept. 11 -- Goals such as "eating better" or "being more active" are ineffective and should be replaced with smaller, specific goals, advises a U.S. expert. Allison Chopra, a fitness expert at Indiana University Bloomington, encourages her personal training clients to drop ambiguous goals such as dropping a few dress sizes, and make smaller goals that can be achieved in three to four weeks. However, she discourages weight-oriented goals because weight loss is a long-term process and everyone loses weight at different rates. Full story 1, Full story 2

Indiana CompSec Staff Give Phishing Lessons at State FairCampus Technology, Sept. 12 -- Representatives from Indiana University's School of Informatics went to this summer's Indiana state fair to offer phishing lessons: education in computer security techniques designed to help people better safeguard personal information on their computers. The computer security exhibit was part of "IU Day" at the Indiana state fair, held near Bloomington, ID. "Education is critical," said Tom Davis, IU's chief information security officer. "Because phishing scams aren't likely to stop anytime soon, awareness is the most effective tool we have to combat this problem. We're looking forward to discussing these types of risks with the extended IU family during the Indiana State Fair." Full story

Vaccine can help protect students against meningitisTalon Marks (California), Sept. 11 -- Each year, students experience life on college campuses unaware that some of the world's deadliest germs are going through their college years too. In 2005, Ashley Lee, a freshman at Indiana University in Bloomington, was diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis, a terrible and life-threatening infection that causes inflammation of the meninges, the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Her case is the textbook example of the need to encourage or even mandate procedures for disease prevention on campus. Full story

From the Chronicle of Higher Education:

AAUP Goes to Bat for 'Freedom in the Classroom'The American Association of University Professors released a statement on Tuesday in response to critics who say professors regularly interject ideologically tinged material into classroom discussions and fail to present views that conflict with their own. The statement, "Freedom in the Classroom," was written by a subcommittee of the association's Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, and is billed as a tool to help professors decide what they can and cannot safely say in the classroom -- particularly when it comes to hot-button cultural and political issues. Full story

Tuition Increases Slowed Over Last Two Years, Education Department Data ShowTuition and fees at the nation's colleges and universities increased at a much slower rate over the last two academic years than they did earlier in the decade, according to a report released on Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education. The report, "Postsecondary Institutions in the United States: Fall 2006 and Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2005-06," found that tuition and fees rose most quickly at public universities, though those institutions remained by far the least expensive places to earn a four-year degree. Full story

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